Pearl: History and legends

Pearl. Pearl had been around long before the mankind. It was around long before mammals came to replace dinosaurus. It is around for hundreds of millions years. But only humans have learned to value the beauty of these "tears of the sea". As the result, since our ancestors have discovered pearl, they began to worship it, and to use it to measure luxtury and success. For example, in ancient Rome. Their interest to aquiring pearls ancient Romand got from Egyptians. According to the Romal historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (in the book called "The Twelve Caesars"), the Imperor, "son of the God Augustus (Imperator Caesar Divi filius Augustus) have once donated sixteen thousand pounds of gols and sixty millions of sestercius of treasures. Those treasures were mostly pearls, taken (robbed) from the Egypt. Ancient Egyptians also have learned to use the mother of pearl, about 6000 years ago they were using it to decorate jewelry. Mostly, its source was the Persian Gulf. As for the pearl itself, it had passed unnoticed by Egyptians till the year 500 b.c. In this area, the ancient China was definitely ahead, the first written document they have, mentioning pearl, is dated 2300 b.c. Not just this record mentions pearl, it is described as an exclusive privilege of the royal family. Merchants from India believed, that the ring containing pearl can protect its owner from thiefs and from unfair deals in business. According to ancient Greeks, pearls are the tears of the sea nymphs. They were worshiping the beauty of the pearl, associating it with love and marriage; in ancient mythology, the pearl necklace became the synonym for a happy marriage. The rich Greek women were wearing pearls, believing that not only it makes your eyes shine, but also guards the owner from the torture of an unhappy love. By the way, the belief that pearl makes your eyes shine, created another belief - that it has the ability to cure eye problems. In Europe, during the epoch of romantism, the pearl ring, given to the loved one, symbolized the "tears of a broken heart". Also, Europeans believed, after the ancient Greeks, that pearl is good for a marriage, as the result, it became a popular part of bride's dress. The dress, covered with pearls, symbolized the "girl's tears", the more tears, the stronger the marriage was expected to be, and the less tears would be dropped after the marriage. Middle ages. Knites not only were presenting pearl jewelry and dresses to the loved ones, but also were taking it with them to the batterfield, believing that it will save them from wounds. Epoch of Reneassance. One look at the famous paintings of that period is enough to realize, that both kings and their "shining" vassals were coveres by pearls. Literally. After America was discovered, all pearls extracted in the "new world" had beed transported to Mother Europe. Greed of pearl catchers resulted in almost complete extinction of american ouster in XVII. Pearl was used in church dresses and decorations. It is not just a coincidence: the symbolic sign of Christianity is fish. There was even a legend in the medevil times: angels lock orphans and innocent souls in the shells, and they turn into pearls. An interesting detail: pearl have bacome more than a treasure, it was a measure of prosperity AND nobility. In XVI the law was issued, forbidding people with low income to wear pearl. Hundred years later, in 1613, the "dress code" have been accepted, a document that reates a dependency between the social status of the person and the dress this person may wear. According to this code, only nobles were allowed to wear pearl. Through all our history, from ancient China and India, to Europe and Arabic countries, pearl was part of potions to treat sclerosis, sleep disorders, astma, heart and liver diseases, and even... sneak bites. Not only was it a gem, but also part of pills, potions and lotions. Unfortunately, it is neither the best nor the cheapest way of getting calcium! Kleopatra, the last ruler of the ancient Egypt, once made a bet with Mark Antonius. She placed the pearl in the goblet of vine, and as it dissolved, drinken it. It seems, that this episode impressed poor Roman guy a lot, as the estimated price of that particular gem was about 10 million of Roman sestercius. So... Pearl was and still is used to create expensive jewelry, to decorate wonderfull things we see sometimes in churches and in palaces of kings. It is used at a measure of wealth, and of course - for some very important reasons - it appeared through all our history on some very nice necks and fingers. Still, since the end of XIX, it was a synonym for treasure. It even was used as an equivalent of money sometimes. A single pearl could cost a fortune, and we know that for fortune people do crimes... Even kill... Should not we expect pearls to be stored in safes, and weared only sometimes, on special occasions? Yes, but... But wait a minute! Yesterday I saw a woman wearing a heavy pearl necklace - in a supermarket! And - look over there! Here is a schoolgirl, wearing pearl earings. And over there... Are they all millionaires? Probably not. Let's take a look at changes, that have hapened to pearlin XX century... Next: Pearl - what is it? Pearl home History and legends Pearl - what is it? Artifficial Pearl Cultivated Pearl Classification of Pearl Pearl: price estimation Buying Pearl Pearl: taking care Online store on Amazon

Terminology and FAQ: cultured freshwater necklace pearl Cultured freshwater pearl has an exellent quality and is very close to the saltwater one. It is cheaper, too. As it is more awailable, in terms of the choice, it is easier to create a perfect set for the necklace. mabe pearl ring Using pearl ring, keep in mind, that pearl is much more fragile than your skin. You should take it off when doing laundry or washing dishes. costume jewelry pearl In the past, pearls were used not only to make jewelry, but also as part of the costume. They were sewed to the costume, forming wonderfull patterns or images. It was especially true regarding the closes used by priests, and bridal dresses. ruby pearl ring As pearls may have deep colors, they may be used in combination with some other gemstones. Just make sure they don't scratch each other. pearl and sapphire ring If you have in mind a particular type of jewelry, check out the link to the online store at the top of this page. Then use their search option. blue lagoon pearls Pearls produced in different parts of the world are described in this little online guide in great details. wholesale black pearls As we have already mentioned, pearls can be black, but not all types of pearls. However, they can also be MADE black, so if you want the color to be natural, ask the seller. There are also some tips on this site, to help you not to get lost. bridal pearl necklace Bridal pearl necklaces are very popular, there are thousangs different offers online. Make sure you read our instructions, before you deside what to buy. pearl necklace for girl As for the necklaces, the choice and the range of prices is unbelievable. You can see anything, srom shapeless little shiny bits that may or may not be pearls, to the large 8 mm AAA grade pearls. faux pearl earring Earrings are another example of popular pearl jewelry. Some of them are simply beautifull. tahitian green pearl People do not usually think of pearl in terms of "green", but yes, it is possible. pearl hoop earring Check out the online offers for different kinds of pearl jewelry. It is possible to do a searh for the keyword or key phrase you are after. coin pearls wholesale On this web site you will find some information both on the shapes pearl may have and on the prices, and how the first affects the second. jewelry pearl ring Keep in mind, that in jewelry, the pearl will be placed in such a way, that its defects, if any, are hidden. This is fine, but you need to be aware of it - and to use it when negotiating the price. amethyst and pearl necklace This is an example that's "possible but dangerous". The amethyst is a very solid stone, and it can scratch pearls easily. bridal pearls According to ancient Greeks, pearls are the tears of the sea nymphs. They were worshiping the beauty of the pearl, associating it with love and marriage; in ancient mythology, the pearl necklace became the synonym for a happy marriage. The rich Greek women were wearing pearls, believing that not only it makes your eyes shine, but also guards the owner from the torture of an unhappy love. Since that time, pearl is a gem of choice for wedding. leather pearl necklace No comment. earring pearl woman Pearl earrings are awailable on the market in countless styles. It can be something as simple as a pin with a single little spherical pearl, or as complex as a chandelier. pearl graduated necklace When making the necklace, there are two choices. First, we can use pearls of the same size. Second, we can place larged pearls in front, and "hide" smaller ones behind them. This second case is called "graduated". earring gold in pearl Note that it does not necessarily have to be white pearl on yellow gold. Gold, for example, can be white and pearl black. Or something else. baroque earring pearl Baroque pearl has "strange", non-symmetrical shape. Sometimes it is very elegant and unusual, and sometimes it can inspure the jewelry maker to create a real masterpiece. pearl set silver As we have already mentioned, creating a pearl set is not an easy task. Also, the more rare the type of pearl is, the more difficult it is, and if you need to match also the color (like creating a set of silver pearls), it is even more difficult. pearl and crystal jewelry Search the online store we link to for some examples of what it can be. lavender pearl necklace Keep in mind, that come colors never can be found in the nature, but are still available on the market. It does not mean, by the way, that they are bad. cheap pearl earring After Chinese freshwater pearl hit the market, it is not a problem to find some very nice and cheap pearl jewelry. bridal jewelry and faux pearl Bridal jewelry often includes pearl. First of all, pearl is traditionally associated with the happy marriage, and second, bridal dress is usually white... child pearl necklace Except for the possible difference in size, the same rules should apply when choosing child pearl necklace. pearl crystal jewelry bridal Keeping in mind that high quality pearl can reflect the light, think of the possibilities here. fijian black pearls Black pearls may still have shades, and when exposed to a direct light, they may have an inner color, very beautiful and valuable in terms of price. charm bracelet pearl It is possible to make pearl bracelets, and some of them are very nice. You need to keep in mind all we said in the "taking care" chapter. black and white pearl ring If the set is created properly, black and white pearls match just fine. pearl necklace with heart Check out the link to the online store.